Anna just let out a breath of a laugh. Brooke could tell that Anna was getting used to her complete inexperience when it came to selfies and coupley photos.“Just put your arm around me,” Anna answered easily as she got the camera open and flipped on her phone.
Brooke did as Anna requested, sliding her arm around Anna’s shoulders. She watched them through the image on Anna’s screen. They looked good together. And more importantly, they just fit together. As her arm relaxed around Anna’s shoulders, and as Anna leaned into the pose, it became more and more clear. This was the right fit, the best fit, and the most comfortable Brooke had ever felt with another person in her entire life. In just a week, Anna had made her feel at home. It didn’t matter that Brooke's mother was somewhere on the grounds, probably lurking and glaring at them, it didn’t matter that her father had hardly said hello to her the night before. Brooke had Anna Fourchette, literally in her arms, and suddenly that was the only thing that mattered.
Brooke couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting to Anna as she had her little epiphany any more than she could stop the smile that spread across her face as a quartet started to play their first prelude, signaling to everyone milling about and chatting to please find their seats. Before Anna stopped snapping photos of the two of them, Brooke leaned in and kissed her cheek. She could feel Anna’s smile lift under her lips, but she didn’t stop kissing her cheek repeatedly while Anna’s smile melted into a laugh. Anna made her want to be silly and playful, two things that Brooke had never wanted to be.
“These are cute,” Anna said, drawing out the‘U’in cute. Anna’s eyes found Brooke's and Anna all but gasped. Her smile softened as her hand reached up to cup Brooke's cheeks.“Your eyes are ridiculously golden in the sunlight.”
Brooke just melted into Anna’s palm.“Thanks,” she whispered.
Anna just grinned at her and forfeited over her phone.“You should take this back before I drag you up to one of those archways and make you model for an impromptu photoshoot.”
Brooke took the phone back with a laugh.“You’re right. Going to have to keep this safe with me to save the world from that.” She immediately missed the feeling of her arm around Anna’s shoulders, of Anna being snuggled into her side. As Anna’s hand slid back to its designated spot on Brooke's thigh, Brooke took a deep breath and slipped her arm back around Anna’s shoulders. She checked in with Anna with a twitch of her eyebrows. Anna just smiled and melted into her side.
Chapter Twenty-Two:
Brooke had never cried at a wedding before, but when her baby brother and her father filed in to stand up at the front, she couldn’t help herself. She was overwhelmed by too many emotions all at once. They looked so much alike. She was thankful to see one of the hired photographers take a picture of the two of them, with their identical smiles as they waited for the procession of the wedding party.
“Do you need a tissue?” Anna whispered.
Brooke used the back of her free hand to quickly wipe away her tears.“No, I’ll be alright, thanks.”
Anna smiled up at her, tucking herself a little tighter into Brooke's side. She nuzzled into the crook of Brooke's neck.
Brooke didn’t let herself sink into the negative thought path that loomed around the edges of her subconscious. She didn’t want to let herself be bitter, she didn’t want to let herself fall into a train of comparison, she wanted to be present in this moment and just let herself be happy for Nate and Mel. They deserved a wonderful wedding. As if to seal those thoughts into her mind, she pressed a kiss to the side of Anna’s head.
The pianist ended one song and smoothly transitioned into another. Everyone turned in their seats as the doors behind them opened. First came the mother of the groom, escorted by Danny, Nate’s Best Man. Brooke stiffened as they passed, but thankfully when her mother made it to the front, she kissed Nate on the cheek once and took her seat in the front row. Next down the aisle was Mel’s mother. She was escorted by a young man who Brooke had never seen. As soon as they had made it to the front, they both took their seats in the same, reserved row as Sybil.
The music transitioned again, the piano shifting to a bit slower of a song. Brooke smiled as people she had become friends with over this week walked down the aisle in pairs in step with the music. The wedding party looked stunning. Nate and Mel had gone classic black-tie with their wedding. The men were in black tuxedos, the women were in vermillion floor length dresses, their bouquets were simple, red and white roses. It looked straight out of an old Hollywood set. But most importantly, everyone just looked so incredibly happy. Jasmine especially, seemed to be beaming about being paired with Martin. Brooke glanced at Anna to see if she had noticed anything. Based on the way that Anna was smiling, she was thinking the same thing that Brooke was.
The pairs all broke at the end of the aisle and moved to either side, the guys lined up alongside Nate and all the girls took their places on the other side, leaving room for Mel. When everyone was in their place the song faded to a close andHere Comes the Bridebegan. Brooke thought she was done with crying, but she was wrong. When Mel stepped into view, her eyes watered all over again. She wasn’t alone this time. Anna wiped her own tears quickly, shooting Brooke a watery smile.
Simply put, Mel looked amazing. Her long, dark hair was wavy, not a single strand was out of place, held back by a gorgeous tiara. Her makeup was immaculate. And her dress was a wedding dress of dreams. She had a long train that trailed after as she walked. Brooke and Anna stood with the rest of the crowd as Mel walked down the aisle with her father.
When they reached the front, Augustus and Mel’s father shook hands. Then Nate shook Mel’s father’s hand as well, and the two dads took their seats by their respective wives in the front row.
Brooke was thankful for the photographers for the second time that night when she saw one of them snap a photo of Nate’s expression of genuine joy as he looked at his radiant wife. Brooke couldn’t help but let out a breath of a laugh as she read Nate’s lips as he clearly whispered‘holy shit.’They were both so in love and so happy. It was infectious. She could feel Nate and Mel’s warmth and devotion seep through the venue. Couples in every row snuggled a little tighter, herself and Anna included.
For a catholic wedding, the ceremony was pretty short. Brooke was thankful that Nate and Mel had, much to Sybil and Augustus’s disappointment, chosen to forgo the full traditional mass and communion. They exchanged their own, handwritten vows, which were beautiful and very much them, and then with teary eyes, they both said I do. Brooke and Anna exchanged a secretive, happy smile, one that carried the weight of already knowing that Nate and Mel were married, but how emotional and joyous this moment was that they got to share it with everyone a year later.
After the party had all made it back down the aisle, the priest informed the guests that there was going to be a photo shoot for the wedding party, and that everyone not required for photos was welcome to make their way down to the lawn where party tents had been set up for eating and dancing.
“Shall we get some food?” Brooke asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. With as close as Anna was snuggled into her side, she didn’t exactly need to shout.
Anna leaned up and kissed the line of Brooke's jaw, right at the crux where her jaw and neck met below her ear. It made Brooke’s pulse race. If you had told her before they had come on this trip, that they would get so comfortable with kissing each other that Anna would just casually kiss her like that, she might not have had the courage to come.
“I think we should get in line for family photos with Nate and Mel,” Anna responded, leaning back ever so slightly so she could find Brooke's eyes.
Brooke swallowed back a sudden unexpected lump in her throat. Her eyes nervously flashed towards the front row where her mother and father were sitting. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene. They could take a nice photo with Nate and Mel some time during the later celebration. She didn’t need to impose on the formal after-the-ceremony photoshoot.
Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw her mother flag down one of the photographers and point in her direction.“Well, Darling. It would seem as if that’s not going to be an option.” She nodded subtly towards where her mother was now standing.
Anna stiffened.“If you think for one second, I’m going to let her get in the way of the bride’s wishes. You’ve got another thing coming.”
Brooke couldn’t help but let out a laugh in disbelief. Sure, she knew by now that Anna was going to stand up for her and might, possibly, be looking for a reason to throat punch Sybil Kent, but seeing her go from sweet and cuddly to vengeful in half a second made Brooke’s heart stutter. She finally realized what Anna had said just then.“Wait, what do you mean‘what the bride wishes?’”
Anna nodded.“Yeah, I told you. Mel and I talked last night. She made it very clear that she wants us in some of the official wedding photos.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest in a pose that said just try to stop her.
She might as well brace for a fight then, because at that moment, the very photographer whom her mother had just spoken to, walked their way.
